Type the Secret History of Letters

Good typography should be invisible', so runs the old maxim - the typeface should carry the message, but not distract with its own personality. But if you've ever wondered exactly what a Zapf is, or if Baskerville has anything to do with Sherlock Holmes, then this text should answer these questions. It is the story of the faces behind the type: it tells of the passions and obsessions of its creators, of war, persecution and political upheaval, of business and technological breakthrough, of rivalry, death and disinterment. Type is fashion, type is history. From Gurenberg's first moveable type to the Internet, Simon Loxley weaves the story of letters through the history of our time. Type has grown out of ambition, jealousy, desire, treachery and love. Never again will you look at your letters, your bank statements, or your books in the same way.